Against the Current: Essays in the History of Ideas - Goodreads
: Berlin is credited with popularizing this term to describe the movement that resisted the rationalist, universalist ideals of the 18th century. Notable Essays
: A central theme is the rejection of the "Enlightenment" idea that all genuine questions have one single, harmonious answer. Berlin argues instead for pluralism—the idea that fundamental human values can be equally valid yet incompatible.
: Berlin focuses on "original minds that swam against the current of their times," such as Machiavelli, Vico, and Montesquieu.